Button sewing machine



Sept. 20, 1938. M. McCANN BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed April 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 20, 1938. M, McCANN 2,131,012

BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Filed April 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20,1938

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUTTON SEWING MACHINE Application April 3, 1936, Serial No. 72,460

12 Claims.

This invention relates to button-clamps for button sewing machines, and it has as its primary object to provide an improved clamp which will more securelyhold shank buttons than clamps heretofore available; which is adjustable to accommodate buttons of various types and sizes; which is self-locking and therefore cannot be opened inadvertently by accidental movement of the button; and which readily may be used in conjunction with various types of work-supports, whereby the buttons may be attached by either through-and-through or blind stitches and either with or without stay buttons.

These objects have been, attained by the provision of a button-clamp having a supporting arm, a plurality of interchangeable button-supporting feet adapted selectively to be secured thereto, each foot having a recess designed to receive a diflerent type of button-shank, and a two part button-holding lever pivotally mounted on said supportingarm and adapted to engage a button to hold the shank thereof in the recess in the supporting foot. One part of the buttonclamping lever is adapted to have the other part movably mounted thereon. The latter part may comprise any one of a plurality of interchangeable button-holding arms each provided with a cuplike button-engaging portion, which portions vary in shape and size to conform to the shape and size of different sizes and types of buttons to be held.

Due to the adjustability of the button-holding portion of the lever and the shapes and sizes of the various cup-like button-engaging portions, multiple point contact, full surface contact or two line contact, at diametrically opposite sides of the button, may be obtained between the button and the arms, as distinguished from the single point contact and single line contact of prior button-clamps. Thus the present clamp more securely holds the buttons and more effectively prevents movement thereof in the button-clamp.

The self-locking feature of the clamp is obtained by the specific connection between thea button-supporting foot, adapted to receive the wire shank of a so-called military button, operating in conjunction with a work-support designed so to hold the work that the button is secured by blind stitches. 5

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2, omitting the needle-bar, needle, and the lower portion of the bracket-arm head.

Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the improved butt n-clamp fitted with a button-sup- 0 porting foot designed to receive a leather shank button, with a button-holding am having a cup-- like button-engaging portion designed to receive a smaller button, and with the world-plate of the machine fitted with a work-support adapted to 15 hold a stay button, whereby the button and stay button are attached to the work simultaneously by through-and-through stitches.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the button-clamp fitted with a button-supporting foot 20 designed to receive a self-shank button, with a button-holding arm similar to that shown in Fig.

2, and with the machine fitted with still another form of work-support adapted for blind stitching.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the 25 self-locking feature of the present improved button-clamp.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the invention is disclosed as applied to a buttonsewing machine comprising a supporting base I, 0 a bed 2, standard I, bracket-arm l, and bracketarm head 5, within which is supported a reciprocating and laterally vibrating needle-bar 6, carrying a needle I. The bed is provided with a forwardly extending work-supporting horn 2 85 within which is mounted lower stitch-forming mechanism which cooperates with the needle in the formation of stitches. Inasmuch as the means for actuating the needle and the construction of, and means for actuating the lower stitch-forming 40 mechanism, may be conventional and form no part of the present invention, illustration and description thereof are deemed unnecessary.

The improved button-clamp comprises a supporting arm I hinged to a portion of the sewing The material m to which the buttons are to be secured, may be held upon any suitable form of support located beneath the button-supporting feet, such, for example,'as the work-supporting blocks l5 and I6 removably and interchangeably mounted upon pins l1 and I8 projecting upwardly from awork-platei! securedupon the portion 2 of the bed 2., The block I5 is adapted primarily "for blind-stitch sewing, while the block button-engaging head 20 adapted to engage the button xto hold the ,shankr'thereof in a suitableaperture formed in the ioot. .Asshown in Fig. 2, this head 20 provides twobutton-engaging portions, 20 and 28 which contact with. the button at ,'opposite sides of the center thereof, thereby holding the shank of thebutton in the .foot 12 and preventing tipping of the button.

, Fig. 3 illustratesathev line contact between the portion 20 and the headof thebutton. Asimilar line contact is provided by theportion 20.

, The arm 20 comprises one part of a two-part button-clamping lever which is adjustably mount- ,ed, for'horizontal movement, 'on the other part 2|, pivotally mounted upon a shoulder screw 22.

This screw issecured in the downtumed portion 8 of the clamp-supporting arm 8 and has -i forward end, projecting through a slot 2|'| form in the horizontal portion of the arm 28. A nut 23 threaded on the screw 22 serves to clamp the arm ;20 to the lever 2| in any desired position of adjustment. The arm 20 is adjustable length- .wise of the lever 2| to compensate for various 4 thicknesses of the button heads. Thus, regardless of the thickness of the heads of the buttons to be attached, full contact may be maintained therewith at'opposite sides .of the center of the button.

Means is provided for swinging the lever 2|,

and the arm 20 carried thereby, in a clockwise direction (asseen in Fig.2) to open the buttonclamp, and tolswing them inthe opposite direction to close the clamp after thebutton has'been inserted;v This, means comprises j an actuating lever 24,pivotally mounted zit-25 'toa stud 26 carried. by-the supporting arm 8. The forward end of this lever isiormed as a cylindrical finger 21 which projectsthrough a slot 8 inthe portion B and fits between the walls 2| and 2| of an inclined slot 2| formed in a portion 2| of the lever 2|. The lever is normally maintained in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the action of a coil spring 28 located between the upper surface of the arm 8 and the head 28- of a tubular nut 29 threaded upon the upper end of a rod 38 connected to the lever 24. .The arm 8 and the parts carried thereby are normally held depressed by the action of a spring-pressed plunger 3| as shown in U. 8. patent to Lyons, No .1,583,062,. May 4, '1926, but may be swung vupwardly about the pivot by suitable treadleactuatedmeans designated generally as t. After the button has been attached, initial upward movement of the button-clamp'breaks the thread (as is well understood) and brings the head 29' into engagement with the lower wall 4 of the bracket-arm (see Figs. 1 and 4) Continued upward .movement of the clamp causes the lever 24 to be swung downwardly, relative to the arm 8, in opposition to the spring 28. During this movement, the finger 21 is, in efiect, moved downwardly and acts upon the wall 2| b of the slot 2|, thereby causing the button-clamping lever 2|, 20 to be swung clockwise, about the pivot 22, to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. This releases the button so that it may be removed wfrom the button-clamp and replaced by another button for a subsequent sewing operation. As the clamp is lowered, the-spring 28 causes the lever 24 to be swung upwardly, relative to the arm 8,

whereupon the end '2! acts upon the wall 2| of theslot 2| andthereby-turns the lever-2|, 20 counter clockwise to bring the portion 2|] into contact with the button.

Fig. 6 illustrates diagrammatically the means provided for preventing opening of the clamp by movement of the button. In that figure the force exerted by the button on the clamping arm 20 is represented by the arrow 1. This force tends to turn the lever 20, 2| clockwiseabout the pivot 22. Thus the contact point of the wall 2|- on the finger 21 is-moved in an are q and exerts a force on the finger, which force is represented by the line 0 perpendicular-to the line i inter- -is"resi'ste'd by a counterforce represented by the arrowd due to the fact'that the stationary wall 8 of the slot 8 is in contact with the side of the finger 21.

' From the foregoing it will be apparent that this clamp is self locking against movement initiated by the button, while the button-clamping arm is free to be moved by actuation of the lever 24.

Fig. 4 shows an arm 20 removably secured to the lever 2| in place of the arm 20 of Fig. 2. This arm has acup-like portion 20, which is smaller than the portion 20 'of the arm 20, and which is designed to hold smaller buttons. such for example as the button 1 Fig; 5 shows the arm 28 adjusted inwardly on the leverv 2| to cause the portion 20 'thereof to enga'ge, by two line contact at diametrically opposite sides of the center of the button, a buttonhaving a relatively thin head..

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A button-clamp for shank-type buttons comprising a supporting arm, a button-supporting 'foot carried thereby and provided with a button-shank receiving aperture, a button-holding lever pivotally mounted on said supporting arm and adapted to engage the head of the but ton'to hold the shank thereof in said aperture, and means to adjust a portion of said buttonholding lever bodily relative to said supporting foot to compensate for variations in thickness of the button-heads.

2. A button-clamp 'for shank-type buttons comprising a supporting member, a button-support provided thereby and located at one face of the button, a button-holding element carried by said supporting member and'adapted to engage the other face of a button to maintain the .button in a substantiallyvertical position and in contact with said button-support, and means to effect a relative bodilyadiustment between said button-holding element and said button-support transverse to a face of the button to provide uniform contact between the button and said element regardless of the thickness of the button.

3. A button-clamp for shank-type buttons comprising a supporting arm, a button-support provided thereby, and a two-part button-holding member pivotally mounted on said supporting arm andadapted to engage the head of the button to hold the shank thereof in contact with said button-support, one part of said buttonholding member being movable relative to the other part to compensate for variations in the button-heads.

4. A button-clamp for shank-type buttons comprising a supporting member, a button-supporting foot carried thereby and provided with a button-shank receiving aperture, a two-part button-holding lever pivotally mounted on said supporting arm, and spring-actuated means normally urging said lever into contact with the head of the button to hold the shank thereof in said aperture, one part of said button-holding lever being movable relative to the other part to maintain uniform contact between said lever and the button regardless of the thickness of the button-head.

5. A button-clamp for shank-type .buttons comprising a supporting arm, a button-supporting foot carried thereby and provided with a button-shank receiving aperture, a button-holding lever pivotally mounted on said supporting arm, and a cup-like button-engaging portion carried by said lever adapted to engage the head of the button at opposite sides of the center thereof to hold the shank of the button in said aperture.

6. A button-clamp for shank-type buttons comprising a supporting member providing a button-support having a button-shank receiving aperture, a two-part button-holding element mounted on said member and including a button-engaging portion adapted to contact with buttons at opposite sides of the center-thereof to hold the button-shanks in said receiving aperture, one part of said button-holding element being movable relative to the other part to maintain uniform contact with the button regardless of variations in the button-heads.

'7. In a sewing machine-having a frame and a work-plate, a button-clamp pivoted to said frame, means carried by said frame to tilt said buttonclamp about its pivot, said button-clamp comprising a supporting arm, a button-supporting foot secured to said arm and provided with a button-shank receiving aperture, a work-support carried by said work-plate beneath said foot, a button-holding arm pivotally mounted on said supporting arm, means to swing said arm into contact with a button to hold the shank thereof in the aperture in said foot, and means to adjust the position of said button-holding arm bodily relative to said supporting arm to compensate for variations in the thickness of buttons.

8. In a sewing machine having a frame, a button-clamp pivoted to said frame, means carried by said frame to tilt said button-clamp about its pivot, said button-clamp comprising a supporting arm, a button-supporting foot secured to said arm and provided with a button-shank receiving aperture, 9. button-holding lever pivotally mounted on said supporting arm, and having an inclined slot therein, means including an actuating lever pivoted to said arm and having a portion within said slot to swing said buttonholding lever in one direction into contact with a button to hold the shank thereof in the aperture in said foot, means actuated by the tilting movement of said button-clamp to swing said lever in the opposite direction to release said button, and means to adjust the position of said button-holding lever bodily relative to said supporting-foot to compensate for variations in the thickness of buttons.

9. A button-clamp comprising a pivotally mounted supporting arm, means to raise said arm, a button-supporting foot carried thereby, a button-holding lever carried by said supporting arm and cooperating with said foot to hold a button, means actuated by the upward movement of said supporting arm to swing said button-holding arm out of contact with the button, and means to lock said-button-holding arm against movement under the influence of the button.

10. A button-clamp comprising a supporting arm provided with avertically arranged slot, 9. button-supporting foot carried by said arm, a button-holding lever carried by said supporting arm and cooperating with said foot to hold a button, said lever being provided with an inclined slot a portion of which is aligned with the slot in said supporting arm, an actuating lever piyotally mounted on said supporting arm and having a finger projecting through and engaging the walls of said slots, means to move said lever in one direction to cause said finger to act upon one of the walls of said inclined slot to swing said button-holding lever into engagement with a button in said supporting foot, and means to move said lever in the opposite direction to cause said finger to swing said button-holding lever out of engagement with said button, said slots and finger being so constructed and arranged as to lock said button-holding lever against movement under the influence of said button.

11. A button-clamp comprising a supporting member, a button-support carried thereby, a

' button-holding member carried by said supporting member and cooperating with said buttonsupport to hold a button, means to move said button-holding member into contact with the button, and means to lock said button-holding member against movement under the influence of the button.

12. A button-clamp comprising a supporting member, a button-support carried thereby, a twopart button-holding lever carried by said supporting member and cooperating with said button-support to hold a button, means to move said button-holding lever into contact with the button, means to lock said button-holding lever against movement under the influence of the button, and means to adjust one part of said button-holding lever relative to the other part and to said button-holder to compensate for variations in thickness of buttons to be held in said button-clamp.

MICHAEL McCANN. 

